On the road: Outdoor holiday start-ups cash in on chase for luxury

Beth and Lee Brown started their Twilight Glamping business with no shortage of fights over how to set up a tent.

"It took us a lot of time and a lot of arguments, to be honest. We were doing all the setting up by ourselves, after work and on the weekends," says Lee Brown.

Founders of Twilight Glamping, Beth and Lee Brown, have used word of mouth and community connections to grow their business.

These days, the British expats are "extremely quick" at setting up a luxurious camping site for punters along the Great Ocean Road, which can include everything from comfy beds to snack boards and indoor plants.

The couple have used word of mouth and community connections to grow their business to $250,000 a year, cashing in on Australia's multibillion-dollar camping and caravanning sector where customers now demand high-tech luxury.

But with camping-ground related revenue alone hitting more than $1 billion a year, according to Ibisworld, success is all about claiming your patch fast.

A Twilight Glamping setup can include everything from comfy beds to snack boards and indoor plants. Credit:Stephanie Driscoll

"In terms of competition, I feel like we got in at the right time, before people started getting in left right and centre," Brown says.

High speed tech a must

The family outdoor holiday is still a staple of December and January, says the founder of Discovery Parks, Grant Wilckens.

These days, holidaymakers can easily spend between $50,000 and $100,000 on a state-of-the-art caravan, says founder of van-sharing platform Camplify, Justin Hales.

Hales founded Camplify in Newcastle in 2015 and the business now lets families lease their fancy vans to renters across Australia.

In November alone the business will turn over $1.3 million, he says, with the company hitting about $15 million a year.

"We’re extremely busy all school holiday periods, but we're seeing a real pattern of people looking at doing this kind of holiday in a much longer sense. We have lots of three-month, six-month and 12-month bookings," Hales says.